Literature/Folklore

 Bearded dragons are left out of folklore and literature in every culture and part of the world. Not even the Chinese, who include many different types of dragons in their history with mythology, include bearded dragons. The Chinese’s dragons are made up creatures while bearded dragons are not. The bearded dragon also does not maintain the same characteristics that the dragons (the Chinese New Year Dragon for example) in Asian culture portray. They do not breathe fire nor have a large snake-like body shape. Bearded dragons are a fairly new species (especially compared to Asian culture and tradition) and these animals are very new popularity wise. Chinese dragons in folklore date back hundreds if not thousands of years, so it can be easily understood how bearded dragons are not included. When it comes to actual dragons, they are quite common in both western and eastern folklore and literature. Some folk tales that include dragons relating to Greek mythology (western folk lore) are “The Dragon of Boeotia,” in which a cruel prince is turned into a “helpless lizard,” and the tale, “How Three Mighty Heroes Saved the Sun and the Moon from the Dragon.” In most cases, dragons are portrayed as villains in western literature and often end up being slain by noblemen. Crossing over to the other side of the world, dragons are much more common in eastern literature. Some stories include “The Daughter and the Dragon King,” where a king is actually able to take dragon form whenever he pleases, and also “The Dragon’s Revenge,” in which a woman transforms into a dragon to take revenge on a past lover who has crossed her. Dragons are much more highly regarded in these eastern cultures’ folk tales and they are also commonly seen as the main subject in children’s picture books and many fictional novels. 

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